>His role in history seems to me an entirely different
>matter. A recent Nobel (in chemistry, I believe) was
>exposed as a child-abuser. What does this mean for
>his work? I would say zilch.
The personal behavior of a chemist doesn't matter much for chemistry. The actual political behavior of a political icon matters a great deal.
Of course, if I were in a Zizekian mood, I could go on about the value of "Jefferson" as an empty signifier, but I haven't made up my mind what I think of all that, so I won't.
Doug